Type-writing machine.



No. 649,747. Patented May l5, I900. H. E. PAYNE.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 18, 1898.) (No Model.)

Qwi/hmwoeo Amir rmcnt 'lIALBERT E. PAYNE, OF NEIV YORK,

TYPE WRITlNG MACHINE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.649,747, dated May 15, 1900. Application filed August 18, 1898. erialNo. 688,848. (No moduli) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IIALBERT E. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Type-lVriting Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

My present invention relates particularly to the kind of type-writingmachine shown in the United States Letters Patent N 0. 565,171, grantedAugust at, 1896, to myself as assignee of Newman R. Marshman and Lee S.Burridge. In that machine, whichis of the typebar class, the type-barsare arranged substantially horizontal, with their type ends adjacent tothe platen or impression-surface, and means intermediate of the typesand the keys are provided for f ulcruming and guiding the bars. In sucha machine it is essential that the bars be so pivoted as to be capableof a free lateral and vertical movement about the fulcrum-point for thepurpose of allowing the type to follow freely its individual guide intraveling to and from the impression-point. It is also essential thatthe parallelism of the type be preserved, and therefore that the bar beprevented from rotation or even vibration on its longitudinal axis.Otherwise the type will not give an even impression.

It is obviously desirable to limit or prevent lateral vibration of thetype-bars in their individual paths, for the more definite the path ofthe individual type-bar is made the closer can the bars be made tooperate without interference and the smaller can the whole keyboardand,indeed,the whole machine be made. In my aforesaid Letters Patent thedetail of the mechanism for fulcruming or pivoting the type-bars isillustrated in a general way only, and the purpose of the presentspecification is to show and describe the best way now known to me ofcarrying out this portion of the invention,

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of such parts of atype-writing machine as are necessary to an understanding of myinvention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a fulcrum-post with cross-secvlewof a type-bar thereon. Fig. 3 is ar view taken in a direction at rightangles to Fi 2. Fig. 4 is a face view of part of the guide-plate.

1 may represent any form of impression surface-as, for example, anordinary rotatin gand longitudinally-moving platen--while 2 is atype-bar of the class shown in my aforesaid Letters Iatent, and 3 is anypart of the stationary frame of the type-writing machine. The fulcra of.the bars 2 are in this form of machine arranged with their tops orbearings in a plane with the printing-point, and the bars arehorizontal, or nearly so, with their ends bearing the types 4; locatedadjacent to and either under or above the platen. They are here shownunder the platen. \Vhile showing my invention applied, as it is bypreference, to the plan or style of machine shown in said LettersPatent, in which the type-bar and key are rigidly connected, it will beobvious from the succeeding description and claims that the invention isnot necessarily limited to machines of that class. The type'ends of theseveral barsare disposed within a comparatively-small space, and the keyends are arranged and spaced substantially as in the standard keyboard,the bars being of such length and'so bent horizontally as to enable thisdisposition to be made; The exact arrangement of the keyboard and theshape of the several type-bars are not illustrated here, not beingsubstantially different in the present invention from the arrangementand shape illustrated in my aforesaid Letters Patent. The bars are hereshown with keys directly upon their forward. ends; but it is obviousthat the bars may instead be operated by keys through the medium of anyusual or preferred connecting devices.

To cause the type ends to move from their normal position to theimpression f point through the proper path, a guide plate or comb 5 isprovided with guide-slots 6, which, as shown in Fig. 6, are so shaped asto give the type ends while moving toward the platen such lateral motionas may be necessary while the types are approaching the impressiom pointuntil they are nearly in contact with the platen. The latter part of themovement is, however, directly vertical to the impression-surface, andexact accuracy of alinement is obtained by a guide 7 adjacent to theplaten.

Preferably the guide-grooves of comb 5 are made by forming said comb ofa series of fiat steel strips or wires a b c d, &c., fixed at top andbottom in a frame 19. By laying these strips flat or twisting them moreor less, as shown in Fig. 4, the shape of the guide-grooves can beaccurately made to accord with the movement necessary for theircorresponding type-bars. In said figure the central strip a is set inedgewise without twisting. The figure only shows the adjacent strips Z7f, which lie on one side of strip a. It will be seen that they arenecessarily given more and more twist, so that their forward edges m aresuccessively at a greater angle to the vertical;

but the rear edge 11 of each is parallel to the forward edge on of thenext preceding strip, so that between the several pairs of edges on nparallel-sided paths 6 of successively greater divergence from thevertical are provided. Furthermore, in a guide-comb made made up ofwires or strips the working edges are smooth and comparativelyfrictionless. Therefore the comb can be placed farther toward the typeand away from the fulcra of the type-bars without unduly increasing thefriction. It is advantageous to set the comb as near the type aspossible. Any inaccuracies of the comb-slots or looseness of thetypebars therein will be exaggerated at the printing-point in proportionto the nearness of the comb to the fulcra.

Each type-bar has at 8 (see Fig. 2) a seat for the ball or rounded head9 on one of a series of vertical posts or fulcra 10, which are fastenedat 11 to a fixed part of the frame of the machine. Fastened to theindividual type-bars (adjacent to their fulcra 10) are a series ofsaddle-shaped guides 12 of width enough from front to rear to insuretheir engagementwith the sides of the posts 10 in all positions of thetype-bars. The posts 10 are tapered, so that the lower edges only of thesaddles 12 will bear thereon, thus securing the least possible vibrationor rotating movement of the type-bar with the greatest looseness of fitof the saddles on the posts, for it will be apparent that with the pointof bearing of the saddle edges on the posts so far below the heads 9 avery considerable 10036".

ness between the posts and the lower edges of the saddles will permitbut a very slight rotating movement of the type-bars. This isanimportant element in lessening the cost of the machine without impairingits accuracy of operation. The said lower edges of the saddles arecurved, as shown in Fig. 3, in lines substantially concentric with theheads 9, so as to prevent vertical sliding motion between the members 12and 10 when the type-bar is operated. The lower edges of the saddleembracing the posts can, as shown in Fig. 5, be readily set so as toclosely embrace the post, and thus prevent loose motion of the type-barand also prevent any vibrating or tilting of it on its longitudinalaxis.

Attached to each saddle 12 is a finger 13,

adapted to operate a universal bar 14, con

nected with the step-by-step escapement, and a spring 15, connecting thefinger 13 with a part of the fixed frame, that returns the typebar tonormal position and holds the seat 8 firmly on the head 9. These parts,however, are only shown for the purpose of illustration and may bevaried at will. An inkingribbon, ink-roller, or other means of inkingthe type or the impression may be employed.

When an impression is to be made, the key is depressed from the positionshown in full lines to that shown in dotted lines and the type-bar turnsupon' the head 9 both vertically and horizontally into contact with theplaten. saddle 12, which, however, completely prevents any motion of thetype-bar around its longitudinal axis and any loose motion of thetype-bar upon its fulcrum. The seats 8 are sufficiently deep to insurethe retention of the type-bars upon the posts by the springs 15-underall ordinary circumstances. To prevent accidental displacement-as, forexample, during shipment of a machine-a bar or plate 16 may be extendedover the type-bars in such position as not to interfere with theprinting of the bars. To enable the removal of one or more type-bars, itis only necessary to first remove the bar or plate 16 and then detachthe spring or springs of the type-bar or type-bars to be taken out.

The tops of the posts may be pointed instead of having rounded heads 9,and the bars may be fulcrumed upon said points, if desired, and in thebroader sense of my invention other forms of pivots may be adopted whichwill have the effect of enabling the bars to have a lateral and verticalmotion that is to say, motion vertical to the impression-surface-withoutmotion around the lon gitudinal axis of the bars.

In this class of machine the close parallelism of the type-bars maycause in rapid writing the striking of one bar upon the other. Toprevent injury to the type, which would result if such blows were takenby the type, I form or provide upon the bars, at 17 or at other suitablepoint adjacent to the type and either on top of or underneath the bars,or both on top and underneath, a projection or lug which will take theblow and prevent the type-faces from ever coming in contact with theunder side of an adjacent type-bar.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen orimpression-surface, a series of type-bars, means for guiding the same toand from the impression-surface and stationary fulcra for said type-barsand means for engaging the type-bars with said fulcra and permittingfree rotary and vertical motion thereon but preventing lateral motion ofThis motion is permitted by the open I the type-bars at their f ulcra,substantially as set forth. I

. 2. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a platen orimpression-surface, a series of key-bearing type-bars, means for guidingthe same to and from the impression-surface, stationary fulcra for saidtype-bars and means for engaging the type-bars with said fulcra andpermitting free rotary and Vertical motion thereon but preventinglateral motion of the type-bars at their f ulcra, substantially as setforth.

3. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a series of type-bars,a series of posts or fulcra therefor, and a series of saddle-shapedguides carried by said type-bars and engaging said posts all arrangedand adapted to operate, substantially as set forth.

4. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a series of type-barsand a series of posts or fulcra therefor, a series of saddleshapedguides and a rigid guide-comb all arranged and adapted to operate,substantially as set forth.

5. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a series of type-barshaving f ulcru mseats, a series of posts or f ulcra having rounded headsengaging in said seats and a series of saddle-shaped guides attached tothe typebars and embracing the said posts, substantially as set forth.

6. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a series of type-bars,a series of tapered fulcrum-posts and a series of saddleshaped guidesaffixed to said bars and embracing said posts, substantially as setforth.

7. In a type-writing machine, the combi nation of a series of type-bars,a series of ful era therefor, means for preventing rotation of thetype-bars on their longitudinal axes or lateral motion on their fulcra,means for guiding the individual type-bars and a guide for the type endsof the several type-bars, substantially as set forth.

8. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a series of fulcra, aseries of type bars loosely supported thereon, springs for retaining thetype-bars on their fulcra, and a removable bar, common to all thetype-bars, for preventing accidental displacement of said bars,substantially as set forth.

9. In a type-Writing machine, the guidecomb consisting of a frame, and aseries of strips or wires twisted with successive front and rear edgesparallel, substantially as set forth.

IIALBERT E. PAYNE.

Witnesses:

HARRY E. KNIGHT, W. P. HAMMONS.

